Wednesday Workout: Hill Repeats

Published on 08/13/2014

The long run is the backbone of base training. It develops everything from oxygen utilization and muscle endurance to energy efficiency. Unfortunately, long runs typically last more than an hour and are hard to get in when crunched for time. Similar benefits of a long run can be achieved through hill training when you only have an hour to run. Below is a great 60 minute hill workout and progression to fill that long run spot on your schedule.

Workout:

Time

Description

Zone (HR / RPE)

15:00

Warm Up (Easy)

Zone 2

30:00

Hill Repeats (Moderate - Hard)

Zone 3 - 4

5:00

Cool Down (Easy)

Zone 2

Progression:

Weeks

Interval

Week 1 - Week 3

4 - 6 x 5:00 Hill Repeats

Week 4 - Week 5

2 - 3 x 10:00 Hill Repeats

Week 6+

20:00 - 30:00 Rolling Hills

Adding long hills develops a combination of strength, endurance, and oxygen uptake at the same time. Since this is a base building session, remember to keep your heart rate well within 85% of your max heart rate.